Celebrating an End

Members from the Harry Potter film series cast and creative team gather at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, in Orlando, Florida

The weekend of November 11 was truly magical at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, in Orlando, Florida. The enchanting theme park was the setting for the celebration of the DVD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

The festivities at the Wizarding World included special events attended by actors, producers and directors from the film series. Joining in on the fun were Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick/Griphook), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley), Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), and many more. They shared their favorite memories from the Potter set with TFK. (Scroll down—or click here and here—to watch the video interviews).

The DVD release of the final Harry Potter film marks the end of an amazing series that started almost 11 years ago. In Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Harry Potter has his final showdown with Lord Voldemort. The battle between good and evil is unbelievable and the story ends in a way that leaves viewers satisfied.

The actors, producers and directors had much to say about their characters, their experiences over the years and leaving the wizarding world behind. Williams learned a lot from playing the head of the Weasley clan. “Working with the younger actors was the best,” Williams said. “Their commitment and energy has taught me to really respect younger actors.” One of those actors is Grint, who said that filming the last scene was very emotional. “[When] we had to cut for the last time, it was really a sad moment,” he told TFK.

The battle at Hogwarts was a favorite scene among many of the actors. “It was a major scene and set. It was a great thing to put together,” said Grint. Director David Yates favored the final fight scene between Harry and Voldemort. Balancing the action with the quieter moments in the film was a “very tricky and difficult to do,” Yates said.

Even though the Harry Potter series is over, Isaacs has some thoughts about what happened to Lucius Malfoy at the end of Deathly Hallows: Part 2. “I think he was rejected by Draco and was never welcomed back to the dark side,” Isaacs told TFK.

Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was a box office hit. But will the movie win an Oscar? “We are going to try our best to push it to that type of recognition,” producer David Barron said. “But we are extremely proud of this film for the way it is.”

The Harry Potter movie magic isn’t over yet. A studio tour of the Potter sets will open this spring in London, England (tickets are available at http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/). What can visiting fans expect? “You can actually see [sets like] the Great Hall, the Gryffindor common room and Dumbledore’s office,” producer David Heyman said. “It is a window into how we made the films. You will get to see the visual, special and creature effects departments. If you love the films you will love this.”

Fans will also love the additional features on the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 DVD. Among the extras is a featurette on the “Goblins of Gringotts,” hosted by Warwick Davis. In this DVD special, Davis takes you through the entire process of becoming a movie goblin. You can also watch a conversation with Potter author J.K. Rowling and with Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.

Is there any chance for another movie? Yates doesn’t think so. “The story has reached an end and there is no way you could start another,” Yates said. “It is wonderful and will only become more nostalgic as time goes on.”

The movie is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray Combo Pack, which includes an UltraViolet Digital Copy. You can download the digital copy to your computer, tablet or smart phone.